


The Gift

by bemynewobsession



Series: Fitzwells Scenes [6]
Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, mentions of past rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 12:05:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15729063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bemynewobsession/pseuds/bemynewobsession
Summary: The Fitzwells scenes from 2x06 and the start of 2x07.





	The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> This one turned into more of a Isabella character study that also happened to include the scenes from 2x06 and 2x07 but whatevs

It took several minutes for Isabella to compose herself after the Beast left her room. Her throat felt raw from the way she had screamed in his face when he had her pinned down to her own bed.

 

Her maid came back into the room after a good half hour. Harcourt always scared them enough that they learned to wait and give him plenty of space when he was in a rage. Isabella couldn’t say she blamed them. She would run away and ignore him too if she could.

 

“My lady? S-shall I continue to help you dress?” The maid spoke tentatively and Isabella noted how her eyes were trained on the ground. This girl was one of the newer maids and she was still timid around Isabella.

 

Isabella cleared her throat to ensure her voice did not break when she spoke. “Yes. Please. My brother still wants to entertain some guests later today.”

 

The small girl came up to her then. She was a little thing. Isabella towered over her. _No wonder she’s still afraid of me._

 

“My lady...your wrists…” Isabella looked down. She hadn’t even noticed there were distinct hand shaped bruises around her wrists and forearm. She sighed resignedly.

 

“My dress will cover them Emily. Do not concern yourself over it.” The maid’s eyes widened and she looked up and met Isabella’s eyes. When their eyes met, there was a connection she had only had with other women. Women who had been hurt by men.

 

The girl looked away and busied herself in Isabella’s closet to find her a dress. The rest of their routine went on as normal, minus the girl being paying special care to her arms.

 

When Isabella was fully dressed in all her regalia, she looked at herself in the mirror. The bruises were definitely covered. She blew out a deep breath. “Thank you Emily. That will be all.”

 

The rest of Isabella’s day went by unremarkably. Until she heard a visiting lord mention in passing that he heard that there had been some sort of scuffle that day at the Golden Square brothel. _Charlotte._

 

Isabella waited until she was sure Harcourt would be gone for the rest of the night to bed some woman and then left the manor quietly.

 

She knew the way to the Wells’ Greek Street brothel now, having just been there the night before.

 

She knocked tentatively on the door. The dark-skinned man who she believed was Margaret Wells’s lover, William North, opened it. She blanched for a moment. Something in her thought it would be Charlotte who opened the door.

 

“Lady Fitz. What can I do for you?” She stammered a bit before saying “I-I’m here to see Charlotte?” She posed it as a question, hoping he would let her in.

 

He nodded, extending his arm in invitation to come in. “I’ll go get ‘er.”

 

Isabella stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. She heard Mr. North around the corner. “Charlotte, your ladyship’s here.” Isabella’s heart fluttered when she thought of being called Charlotte’s anything.

 

“Lady Isabella? Why’re you here?” Charlotte walked up to her. She looked different than Isabella had ever seen her. She wore no wig. No makeup. Her dress was much simpler than the ones she normally wore when she was around Dame Death.

 

“I had heard about a scuffle on Golden Square. I guess I assumed correctly that it had something to do with you.” Charlotte smiled at her. It was such a full genuine smile that Isabella was almost taken aback.

 

“Yeah, c’mere I’ll tell you what ‘appened.” Charlotte took her arm and led her into the same room Isabella had met Margaret Wells in the night before.

 

They sat on the chaise together, the fireplace behind them burned brightly. Charlotte smirked at Isabella. “Ol’ Dame Death found out from some snitch that I conspirin’ against her.” Isabella gasped softly. “How-who?” “I don’t know. Don’t care really.”

 

“Quigley burst into my room angry and tried to throw me down but bein’ younger and stronger an’ all I pinned her and choked her.” Isabella herself choked slightly at Charlotte’s words. “You-choked her?”

 

“God. Isabella I was just _so_ angry. I was so enraged at her and what she’d done. To me. My ma. All those poor virgins over the years. Almost killed the old bitch if Ma hadn’t been there to pull her off of me.” Isabella just gaped at the girl in front of her. 

 

The amused light in Charlotte’s eyes died out a bit and the younger woman looked down at the space on the couch between them. “Just wish I could a gotten that girl out of there. Abigail.” Isabella could tell from Charlotte’s tone and abrupt change in body language that her guilt in her part of kidnapping the girl had only increased since they had failed to prevent the young virgin’s rape.

 

Isabella felt something pass between the two of them. The mood in the air had shifted to something different. More intimate.

 

“Charlotte.” The younger woman looked up at her with tired eyes. “Charlotte I-I want to share with you the secret Lydia Quigley holds over me.”

 

Blue eyes widened at what Isabella had said. “Isabella-are-are you sure you want me to know this?” Isabella watched as the girl swallowed nervously. Isabella looked down at her hands and began to speak again.

 

“My entire life has been built on lies and deception. I’ve never known how to place trust in anyone or have anyone place their trust in me.” She turned her eyes up to see Charlotte studying her intently.

 

“My relationship with you has been the first in my life ever built on mutual trust Charlotte. I need to someone to know this about me other than someone who only seeks to bring destruction and blackmail into my life.”

 

Both their eyes drifted to the floor for a moment before Isabella began to speak again, forcing herself to keep her voice strong.

 

“My secret is a child.” Charlotte’s eyes immediately filled with understanding and sympathy. Isabella continued. “A daughter. Born when I was very young.”

 

Isabella took a steadying breath. “She’s at a private boarding school in Chelsea.” She couldn’t help but smile softly thinking of her dear Sophia. “Sometimes I ride and watch her from park.”

 

Isabella watched for a moment for Charlotte’s reaction and the younger woman took a shuddering breath, trying to take all the information in.

 

“I’ve never tried to contact her. That’s how she survives.” Isabella was nearly breathless in her words. So long she had kept this secret. The soft release of the burden of it was cathartic.

 

Charlotte shook her head nearly imperceptively, eyes full of delicate sympathy. “You must move her.” The younger woman leaned in slightly closer. “Lydia is vengeful.” Isabella nodded in agreement.

 

“Yes. So is my brother.” She debated for a second of whether to tell Charlotte of her damnation but the look in Charlotte’s eyes and the way her face was framed by the soft glow of the fire made Isabella want to tell Charlotte everything she had ever hidden from the world.

 

“He bragged this morning. Self-satisfied at what he did.” Charlotte’s eyes briefly flickered away, likely in her guilt. The younger woman took a heavy breath before saying “The girl he raped. She cursed me.”

 

Isabella wished she could turn back time and convince Charlotte to never have participated in the act. The younger woman was not the true villain here and yet she was the only one to feel even the slightest guilt in the entire ordeal.

 

“It was his crime, not yours.” Isabella swallowed heavily. She was about to tell Charlotte what no one else in the world knew. Not even the self-proclaimed secret keeper Lydia Quigley.

 

“And everything he did was in punishment of me.” Charlotte gazed at her in confusion. “How?” The younger woman shook her head in incredulity. “Why?”

 

Isabella nearly choked on her next words. She blinked slowly once or twice to allow a pause in the conversation.  “For rejecting him.” Isabella wasn’t sure how to read the look that passed across Charlotte’s face. She couldn’t stop spilling her secrets now.

 

“When I was very young, he damned me with his lust.” Charlotte definitely looked horrified now. Isabella continued. “My child. She is his.” Charlotte was breathing visibly harder now. “He doesn’t know.” The younger woman was clearly fighting the urge to cry. She leaned forward, their faces now closer than they had ever been.

 

Charlotte spoke with trembling lips but a confident voice. “You’re not damned.” _Charlotte Wells you must be heaven-sent._ Isabella fought off the emotion rising in her. She smiled sadly at the girl, shaking her head slightly. “I am.”

 

Charlotte smiled at her softly. “I’m cursed. You’re damned.” She laughed softly. Isabella was enraptured by the beauty of her smile and the sound of her self-deprecating laugh. “What a pair we are!” Isabella couldn’t help the wry grin that passed her face.

 

There was a pregnant pause. Isabella broke the brief silence. “No one has ever touched me since. No one ever will.” The last part Isabella said in complete seriousness. _Who would ever touched someone damned as I?_

 

Isabella noticed curiously that something came over Charlotte in that moment. Isabella watched as the younger woman shifted her body closer to where Isabella sat on the chaise. The harlot pushed herself forward, right into Isabella’s personal space, and reached out a soft hand to caress her face.

 

Charlotte’s thumb gently trailed over Isabella’s cheek, her fingers trailing behind to urge Isabella to look at her. Isabella’s heart was pounding, blood rushing in her ears. The younger woman spoke in a hushed, husky voice. “Why should you be forever alone?

Charlotte’s hand again clasped to Isabella’s cheek. The younger woman leaned back only slightly to look Isabella in the eyes as she delivered her next words. “Let me break his spell.”

 

Charlotte leaned in slowly to kiss her then, Isabella felt the younger woman’s hand gently guiding their faces together. Isabella felt her eyes flutter closed. Their noses brushed briefly before their lips connected soundly. Isabella’s could feel her arousal already simmering low in the pit of her stomach.

 

Charlotte kept their lips connected still and Isabella felt her hand come up almost involuntarily to touch Charlotte’s soft hand still on her face.

 

Charlotte backed away slowly, Isabella’s hand still holding hers to her face. Charlotte touched her forehead to Isabella’s. “Isabella. Let me free you from his poison. Let me give this to you.” Charlotte’s hot breath brushed over her face and Isabella felt herself nodding dumbly.

 

Charlotte turned their connected hands to interlace their fingers, gently pulling Isabella up.

 

She pulled Isabella through the door leading to the stairs, turning back to face Isabella to flash her a smile that said _trust me._ Isabella allowed herself to be lead to the bedroom.

 

The night was more than Isabella could have ever dreamed. She never wanted it to end. But morning came. She woke before Charlotte and rolled out of the bed, trying not to rouse her.

 

“Isabella. Tryin’ to leave without sayin’ goodbye?” Isabella smiled back at her _lover?_ softly.

“I would never, love.” Charlotte roused from the bed rather unceremoniously. They were both still as naked as the night before. Isabella relished in seeing Charlotte’s naked form in full daylight and couldn’t help but notice Charlotte’s eyes roaming her body as well.

 

Isabella turned around before she could get distracted further. She picked up her chemise from the floor and pulled it on, gasping softly as she felt a warm body press against her back.

 

Isabella turned around again, almost disappointed to see that Charlotte had put on her chemise already as well. “‘Ere. I’ll help you get dressed.” Charlotte began sorting through the clothes strewn about the floor, handing Isabella what was hers. Isabella began putting on more and more layers until she got to her stays.

 

“Charlotte. Can you..” Before she even got through the question, soft hands were at her back, pulling the laces of her stays together with care.

 

They went through putting on more layers together until Isabella was fully dressed, with her wig once again upon her head and Charlotte in what she had worn just beneath her dress the night before.

Charlotte looked at her with soft eyes. “I wish we coulda just stayed in the moment we shared last night, forever.” Isabella leaned forward and kissed the top of her forehead, the fact that neither woman wore heels made their difference in height more apparent.

 

“Harcourt and I fought yesterday. I’m sure he is angry still. He will keep getting more angry until I return home.” Charlotte sighed softly. She took Isabella’s hand gently and lead her out the door. Isabella took the lead as the trailed down the stairs together.

 

As they reached the bottom of the steps, Isabella felt Charlotte’s hand grasp her arm gently and the younger woman pulled Isabella once again into her body. Their lips met in an open mouthed kiss, so different than the tentative first kiss they had shared the night before. Charlotte’s hand grasped gently at Isabella’s head as Isabella’s hand flew to Charlotte’s back to press their bodies closer together. Isabella could feel the press of Charlotte’s breasts fully against her own. They both moaned softly.

 

The kiss ended and they both pulled away. “What was that about Charlotte Wells?” Charlotte only offered her a sweet grin in response.

 

Charlotte walked her all the way to the doorway and the younger woman peered her head around the corner of the open door before backing slowly to stand behind the closed one.

 

Isabella began to put on her gloves. “I don’t know if I’m to offer you payment.” She spoke softly to the younger woman.

 

“Not unless you would offend.” Isabella licked her lips and looked down in short embarrassment. Charlotte continued. “It was a gift. One I took great pleasure in giving.” Charlotte’s soft bedroom  eyes were locked with Isabella’s as she said this.

 

Isabella could only blush slightly and smile in response. She looked out to the road ahead and then gave one last satisfied smile to Charlotte.

 

As Isabella walked away, she stopped for a moment to relish in her happiness. Charlotte Wells had given her the greatest and most generous gift she had received in her life. Though Isabella knew the days and weeks ahead were likely to be painful, her night with Charlotte may have made it all worthwhile.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment if you enjoyed!  
> Follow me on tumblr @artemisodinson


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